“Each is” and “each are” look similar, but they do not work the same way grammatically. The key is to identify what the subject of the sentence actually is.
When each is the subject, it normally takes a singular verb. That gives you each is, not each are.
For example:
Each is ready for the meeting.
But English also allows each to appear after a plural subject:
They each are ready for the meeting.
Here, they is the subject, so the plural verb belongs to they, not to each.
That small difference explains most of the confusion.
Quick Answer
“Each is” is the correct choice when “each” is the subject.
Use:
- Each is correct.
- Each of the answers is correct.
- Each student is responsible for the assignment.
- Each of them is ready.
Do not normally use each are when each itself controls the verb.
However, are can appear after each when another word is the actual subject:
They each are ready.
This construction is grammatical, although They are each ready often sounds more natural.
The easiest test is to identify the subject. If each is the subject, choose the singular verb.
Why People Confuse Them
The confusion usually comes from the group that each refers to.
Consider:
Each of the employees is required to sign the form.
The word employees is plural, so are may seem tempting. But employees is not the subject controlling the main verb. The sentence focuses on every employee individually, with each as the grammatical head.
Compare that with:
The employees each are required to sign the form.
Now employees is the subject. Because it is plural, the verb is plural.
Another reason for confusion is spoken English. In casual conversation, speakers sometimes use plural verbs after each of, especially when a plural noun is close to the verb. That usage occurs in real speech, but singular agreement remains the safer choice for careful writing.
Key Differences At A Glance
| Feature | Each is | Each are |
|---|---|---|
| Standard subject pattern | Correct | Not normally correct |
| Subject is “each” | Yes | No |
| Singular agreement | Yes | No |
| Can appear after a plural subject | No | Yes, in a structure such as “they each are” |
| Best choice for formal writing | Yes | Usually avoid |
Main comparison:
- Each is → each is the subject.
- They each are → they is the subject.
- Each of them is → each is the subject.
- They are each → they is the subject.
Meaning and Usage Difference
The word each refers to members of a group individually. It can refer to two or more people or things, but the grammar can still treat each as singular.
Each student is given a locker.
The sentence refers to all the students, but it considers them one at a time.
The same pattern works with each of:
Each of the students is given a locker.
The plural noun students identifies the group. The word each identifies the individual members.
When each follows a plural subject, the agreement changes because the plural subject controls the verb:
The students each have a locker.
Here, students is plural, so have is plural.
With be, you can also say:
The students each are ready.
That is grammatical, but many speakers prefer:
The students are each ready.
The placement changes the rhythm without changing the basic meaning.
Tone, Context, and Formality
Each is is the clear choice for formal, professional, academic, and edited US English when each is the subject.
Use it in sentences such as:
Each of the applicants is qualified.
Each option is available online.
Each of the reports is reviewed before publication.
You may hear plural agreement after each of in informal speech:
Each of the players are warming up.
That form occurs in actual usage, but it is not the best choice when you want careful subject-verb agreement.
The more important distinction is sentence structure. Do not automatically change a plural verb to singular just because each appears nearby.
The players each have a locker.
The plural verb have is correct because players is the subject.
Which One Should You Use?
Choose each is when each stands alone as the subject:
Each is different.
Choose each of the… is when each introduces a group:
Each of the plans is reasonable.
Choose each person is when each comes directly before a singular noun:
Each person is responsible for their own account.
Choose a plural verb when a plural subject comes before each:
They each have a different role.
For the specific choice between each is and each are, the answer is straightforward: use each is when each is the subject.
If you see a sentence containing each are, check whether another plural subject comes before each. That structural check often explains why are appears.
When One Choice Sounds Wrong
Each are sounds wrong when each directly controls the verb:
Each are ready. ❌
The corrected version is:
Each is ready. ✅
The same problem appears in longer phrases:
Each of the products are available. ❌
Each of the products is available. ✅
The plural noun products can distract you, but it does not change the agreement controlled by each.
By contrast, this sentence is structurally different:
They each are available. ✅
Here, they is the subject. A smoother alternative is:
They are each available. ✅
So the issue is not that the words each and are can never appear beside each other. The issue is whether each is the subject controlling the verb.
Common Mistakes (and Quick Fixes)
Mistake: Each of the students are ready.
Fix: Each of the students is ready.
Mistake: Each are responsible for the task.
Fix: Each is responsible for the task.
Mistake: Each of the options have advantages.
Fix: Each of the options has advantages.
Mistake: Each person are welcome.
Fix: Each person is welcome.
There is also an opposite mistake:
The employees each is responsible for a section. ❌
Because employees is the subject, the verb should be plural:
The employees each are responsible for a section. ✅
More naturally:
The employees are each responsible for a section. ✅
The important lesson is to identify the true subject before choosing the verb.
10. Everyday Examples
Here are natural examples you might see in US English:
Each is labeled with a different number.
Each of the guests is given a name tag.
Each member is responsible for one task.
Each of the stores is open until 9 p.m.
Each of these files is stored separately.
Each applicant has submitted their information.
The applicants each have a confirmation email.
The two managers each have a separate office.
They are each responsible for checking one section.
Notice that the verb changes according to the subject, not simply according to whether each appears somewhere in the sentence.
Dictionary-Style Word Details
Verb
Each is: This is the standard subject pattern when each controls the verb. Example: “Each is ready.”
Each are: Not normally used when each itself is the subject. However, are can appear after each when a plural subject controls the verb, as in “They each are ready.”
Noun
Each is not a noun. In standard dictionary descriptions, each functions primarily as a determiner and pronoun. It can also be used adverbially in expressions such as “five dollars each.”
Each are is not a noun form. It is simply a verb-agreement construction whose correctness depends on the sentence structure.
Synonyms
Each: Closest plain alternatives include every one or every individual, depending on the sentence.
Each are: This is not a separate vocabulary item, so it does not have independent synonyms.
There is no exact synonym for the full phrase that preserves every grammatical structure.
Example Sentences
Each is: “Each is marked with a unique code.”
Each are: “They each are assigned a different code.”
Each of them is: “Each of them is expected to arrive on time.”
They are each: “They are each assigned a different seat.”
Word History
Each is an old English word with roots reaching back to Old English. Modern dictionaries trace it to the Old English form ǣlc. The historical development does not create a separate grammatical distinction between each is and each are.
Phrases Containing
Common structures include:
- each is — “Each is useful.”
- each of — “Each of the rooms is clean.”
- each one — “Each one is different.”
- each of them — “Each of them is ready.”
- we each — “We each have a copy.”
- they each — “They each have a reason.”
The verb depends on which word functions as the subject.
FAQs
Is “each is” always the correct choice?
Use each is when each itself is the subject. For example, “Each is ready” and “Each of the employees is ready” follow standard agreement. The answer changes only when another subject, such as they, controls the verb.
Is “each are” ever grammatical?
Yes, but not when each itself is the subject. In “They each are ready,” they controls the plural verb. This construction is grammatical, although “They are each ready” is often smoother in ordinary US English.
Should I write “each of them is” or “each of them are”?
Write each of them is in careful standard writing. Them identifies the group, while each remains the subject. Plural agreement sometimes appears in informal speech, but singular agreement is the clearer choice for formal writing.
Why does “each” take a singular verb?
Each focuses on individual members separately, so it is treated as singular when it controls the verb. That is why we write “Each student is ready,” even though the sentence may refer to many students.
What about “they each are”?
“They each are” can be grammatical because they is the subject and therefore controls the plural verb. Still, “They are each” often sounds more natural. For example, “They are each responsible for one section” is a smooth choice.
Is “each” a noun, pronoun, or determiner?
Each can function as a determiner or pronoun, and it can also have an adverbial use in expressions such as “$10 each.” When it acts as the subject, it takes singular agreement, as in “Each is different.”
Conclusion
The clearest answer to each is or each are is each is when each is the subject.
Use:
Each is ready.
Each of the students is ready.
Each person is responsible.
But do not assume that every sentence containing each must use a singular verb. When a plural subject comes before each, the verb agrees with that plural subject:
They each have a ticket.
They are each ready.
That distinction is the key. Focus on the actual subject, and the correct verb becomes much easier to choose. For standard US English, each is is the dependable form when each itself controls the verb.
